Washington St., Oregon St. set to join WCC for next 2 seasons

Field Level Media|published: Wed 20th December, 15:50 2023

Feb 16, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot Butch performs before a men s basketball game against the Oregon State Beavers at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. credits: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Washington State and Oregon State are poised to join the West Coast Conference in every sport except football and baseball for the next two seasons beginning in 2024-25, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

WCC presidents are expected to vote Thursday to approve the temporary addition of the only two remaining Pac-12 teams, according to The Athletic.

If approved, Washington State and Oregon State would begin WCC action in 2024-25. Their games would count in the standings and the Cougars and Beavers will be eligible to claim the WCC title and get the automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament. However, WCC powerhouse Gonzaga stands in the way of that.

The two football programs finalized an agreement to play in the Mountain West Conference in 2024. However, their games will not count in the standings. The WCC does not sponsor football.

The Oregon State and Wazzu baseball programs have yet to reach a deal with a conference and are mulling an independent run, according to reports. However, they could still reach a deal with the WCC to play baseball.

With temporary homes in place, the two remaining schools with voting rights in the Pac-12 will figure out the next move for the conference. The schools are in litigation over control of the Pac-12 board and the hundreds of millions in assets that come with it.

—Field Level Media